Freshwater Information:

• The topmost zone near the shore of a lake or pond is the littoral zone.
  • This zone is the warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of the Sun's heat.
• It sustains a fairly diverse community, which can include several species of algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians.
• In the case of the insects, such as dragonflies and midges, only the egg and larvae stages are found in this zone.
• The vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks.